Semion Barbershop for Allhttp://www.semionbarbershop.com
Tue, 13 Mar 2018 20:19:27 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.425542543Post #3: Semion the Barber – New Yorkhttp://www.semionbarbershop.com/semion-barber-new-york/
Thu, 18 Jan 2018 06:08:59 +0000http://www.semionbarbershop.com/?p=4821Happy New Year Everyone, Many of you were asking when the Semion Story will continue and I would like to apologize for the delay as we were very busy with...

Many of you were asking when the Semion Story will continue and I would like to apologize for the delay as we were very busy with setting up our new location at Stanley Marketplace. So thank you for your patience and without further ado here is Post #3.

During the barber program, he joined an apprenticeship program in a Dominico – Puerto Rican barbershop in uptown Manhattan. Here is an interesting fact: six-months after immigrating and just starting to learn English, he needed to learn Spanish barber terminology to communicate with Spanish-speaking clientele. In that barbershop, he was taught point side-burns, tape-ups, tapered, and razor line-ups, and other precision-based haircuts that heavily emphasized the use of a straight razor. It was a barbershop of three chairs in total, so he had to share one chair with another barber. His name was Rafael; he had a funny tradition, every time he got a $5 tip he would make bachata moves in front of everyone while holding the bill in his hands. Semion fell in with Latin culture! It was in that specific barbershop where he was introduced to tequila, upbeat Latin music, barbershop jokes, and salsa dancing. After three months, another barber was hired and that same night, the boss handed Semion an envelope with his last paycheck and told him “good luck”. Semion asked him for a reason for being let go so abruptly, and the response was that the new employee paid him for the job. Another lesson learned.

Later on, a relative found Semion a job at Brighton Beach in Brooklyn at the center of the Russian community, yet under Indian ownership. The schedule was from 9 am to 9 pm, and in that 12-hour window, he only did four haircuts with no hourly pay and no opportunity to build clientele; so, he left the job just in four days.

After multiple applications and a poor success rate of finding a decent working environment, Semion sought out for another opportunity. With his father, the two went to visit a family friend in Queens who owned a restaurant. While exchanging in a conversation, one of the restaurant’s customers overheard some of the topics discussed. The customer quickly offered Semion help with completing an application for a new job. After a brief discussion, Semion introduced himself with his last name. Once the customer heard that his last name was Kikirov, he was overjoyed with the coincidence immediately asking who was David Kikirov (you can see him on one of the posters at the barbershop) to him. Suprised, Semion responded that he was his uncle. Astonished by the relationship, the customer told Semion to forget about the application because he wanted him to come every Sunday to learn the barbering business from him at the barbershop he worked at! That stranger at the restaurant (Yan Chulpaev) was the student of David Kikirov, and now he decided to return the favor. Little did Semion know that Yan was a true legend at the New York’s and perhaps world’s largest barbershop, Astor Place (Short Clip).

Astor Place, a three-story barbershop with 120 barbers, was known for its diversity, barbers from all the corners of the world worked there you could hear the variety of languages. The barbershop where celebrities got their haircuts, where barbers could do 3 minutes zero fades with just one clipper, where barbers had to wait in year-long lines to get a job there. It was Ivy-League School of barbers where legends were made. Now in a strange turn of events, it was within grasp.

]]>Yes, No, Please, Thank you, I am sorry! Let’s skip the bad words. Our vocabulary contained no more than five words or phrases. We settled in Brooklyn and spent the first month on getting social security cards and other legal documentation.

During the first month, you understand that you don’t understand anything but what is even more concerning no one understands you. Moreover, New York City is the microcosm of the world. It has Italian, Polish, Russian, Puerto Rican, Israeli, Chinese, Indian, and many other neighborhoods. Lights are everywhere; the city never sleeps, the epic night view of the Manhattan Skyline from the Brooklyn Bridge. How can we not mention the ethnic cuisine from all over the world? The honeymoon ended very quickly as it is time to work, learn English, and pay bills.

The typical immigrant story beings with, “my family came to U.S. with few dollars in their pocket.” Unfortunately, our story seems to match since we came into this country with almost nothing because of the Soviet Union forbidding any personal ownership of businesses since everything was owned by the government. Moreover, due to the economic crisis, the currency became worthless, and possession of U.S. dollars during the Soviet Union was punishable by law. So we had nothing but the need to make it in the new country.

Being the eldest sibling, Semion had to take the lead and dive in. He found a job as a bread delivery man for $3.50 per hour which he ended up being fired from due to refusing to steal bread from stores he was delivering to. He told his boss, “I immigrated from a lawless country to U.S. so I can live an honest life and I am not going to do what you are asking me.” Although he still remembers how happy he was when his boss gave him his first $35 for 10 hours of work in the United States on the side note, his boss paid with the ripped and oldest dollar bills he possibly could find in his pocket. By the way, he did not know he was fired from that job. His boss told him that he would call him when he needs him again. When Semion called him back, his boss told him, “lesson number one, in the United States, when someone tells you that they will call you that means you are fired.”

Then a family member suggested that he should get a barber’s license since he already knew how to cut hair from the age of 15. But to pay for the school, he had to find another job. So he walked from one block to another from one business door to another asking for a job. When managers asked him to complete an application, he did not know how to write in English, so he had to tell them that he will be back and go to another business to look for a job. Then he found this brand new Italian restaurant that hired him as the baker’s assistant. At that moment, he was so excited to find a job that he did not even ask about the wage. Unfortunately, the business failed after two weeks, so the owner offered to pay him with food because they had no money. Then he was hired by another bakery in which he learned how to make Italian cookies at which he stayed until he got his barber’s license in New York.

In our next post, we will write about our barbering experiences in New York.

]]>4456Post #1: Blindfold No Morehttp://www.semionbarbershop.com/post-1-blindfold-no/
Thu, 29 Jun 2017 15:00:00 +0000http://www.semionbarbershop.com/?p=4342The Independence Day is next week, in honor of that day we would like to begin our first post by describing the core reasons for our family to come to...

]]>The Independence Day is next week, in honor of that day we would like to begin our first post by describing the core reasons for our family to come to the United States. Independence Day which took place 241 years ago commemorates freedom from oppression. That moment is not in the past but a moment that lives on. It had given my family a July 4th, 17 years ago when we landed in New York.

The collapse of the Soviet Union immediately brought the civil war to now the independent Republic of Tajikistan. The civil war lasted about five years with 500,000 displaced, and an estimated 50,000 to 100,000 people killed. The chaos in Tajikistan put an end to once flourishing communities that were now persecuted based on religion and nationality. There was no rule of law; the law was in the hands of those who held an AK-47 and had connections in the top echelons of government. Long lines for bread that could last for many hours and sometimes you would hear “No More Bread,” and now you had to go home and tell everyone there is no bread to eat and sometimes bread was all that you had to eat. Constant electricity outages, hot water only two months a year.

No security, no food, no vision of tomorrow. The place we thought was home became hostile to its citizens. We were among thousands who were seeking refuge from the persecution of what became a war-torn country. In late 1997, we were invited to the U.S. Embassy in Moscow for an interview to immigrate to the United States of America. After the successive rounds of interviews, the path to Freedom and Security was now open.

In 1999, we landed at JFK Airport in New York City. A lot of words could be used to describe the feelings. But I would like to summarize it by saying it was like I was wearing a blindfold all these years and all of the sudden I don’t have to wear it anymore. Welcome to the United States of America.

]]>4342Semion – What is it?http://www.semionbarbershop.com/semion-what-is-it/
Sat, 24 Jun 2017 00:19:46 +0000http://www.semionbarbershop.com/?p=4327Recently, so many visitors were fascinated by the background story of Semion Barbershop, so they suggested to share it with a wider range of audience. Therefore, we are committed to...

]]>Recently, so many visitors were fascinated by the background story of Semion Barbershop, so they suggested to share it with a wider range of audience. Therefore, we are committed to writing one short blog post every two weeks about Semion to celebrate our sixth anniversary and the opening of the second location at Stanley Marketplace.

These series of blogs will cover:
1. Kikirov Family road to the United States
2. Opening Semion Barbershop
3. Initial Challenges
4. Current State of the Industry
5. Industry Predictions
6. Main Ingredients of the Semion Barbershop
7. Future Goals

Coming from a family with 4 generations of barbers, I never had to ask myself this question. My father buzzed my hair until I was 6 years old, and my brother Semion practiced on my hair ever since(but that is a story for another time). After moving to New York City in 1999 finding a great barber or hairstylist was never a problem since NYC was full of top level professionals. After we moved to Denver, Colorado in 2001, though, the overwhelming amount of compliments Semion received from both professionals in the industry and clients for his skill and delivery of service made us question the Colorado haircutting industry.

This industry is saturated with so many different establishments, ranging from chains to home-based salons. Consequently, the days when your favorite barber worked in one location until retirement are in the past. The average employment duration for stylists stands at 3 years, with an unconfirmed 60% of them leaving the industry completely in that time. This sad statistic affects everyone.

We all know the feeling when we come in to get a haircut and our one and only stylist is longer there. We feel shocked and sometimes betrayed. And yet, we still need a haircut, so we are forced to play the hairstyling version of Russian Roulette. Sometimes you dodge a bullet, but often you walk away with a less-than-beautiful haircut, forcing us to politely smile, pay for the haircut, leave a tip, and go home to receive “compliments” for our new haircut.

So how does the journey for a great hairstylist begin? In general, we ask our friends and we search Yelp and Google Reviews, but too often we’re left feeling disappointed because the good online reviews were given to unnamed stylists. Or, the stylist you want is too busy, and you have to schedule your whole day around that haircut, you have to pay a hefty price, and/or you have to drive for a long time. We try stylist after stylist until we find one that we are satisfied with and pray that it will be long-term relationship. But remembering the statistic above, this relationship will last on the average only +/- 3 years.

We at Semion Barbershop have recognized this serious issue and determined to resolve it for all Coloradoans. We asked ourselves: why do hairstylists leave their current employer roughly every 3 years?! Well, in all honesty, this is a new trend affecting almost every industry. People are looking for something new, different challenges, better compensation packages, growth opportunities, and more. We all seek to self-actualize. Thus, we at Semion provide above-average compensation packages for our team members, along with in-house training program and the ability to participate and grow within the company. Instead of treating our team members as on-the-clock employees, they are given the opportunity to be part of the Semion concept: our team members participate in all aspects of the barbershop from décor to the products and services we provide.

But above all, we nurture respect and open communication from within. At the end of the day, whether you are team member or a client we are all humans that have feelings, families, and goals; in short, we are part of the community. Semion is not just a place where we cut hair. Rather, it is a place where we build relationships between team members. We are the connection between a Starbucks barista to a tax accountant at Ernst and Young. Some clients call us affordable therapy doctors. The foundation of our industry should not dwell on how prestigious the brand is. Instead, it should dwell on whether or not we “CARE” about each other. It is not just a top notch haircut. It is about a relationship that we are proud to support and share with others. The prestige is not the goal. It is only a by-product. That’s why when we were named the 5280 Top Barbershop in Denver Colorado for 2013 and 2014 we did not even know about it until our clients told us!

I would like to leave you with two questions:

If you can get a great haircut but the personality or the atmosphere of the place was absolutely awful, would you return?

If your haircut was not so good but your stylist was friendly and the atmosphere was awesome, would you return?

What’s with extremes?! Where is the balance between the two: great atmosphere and great haircut?! The balance is at Semion Barbershop, where professionals are not born but are made with a serious training program under strict supervision of Semion Kikirov.

No need to try your luck at Russian Roulette. Just come to Semion Barbershop and become part of the Risk-Free Haircut Experience.

Next topic: Semion Training Program: Clients, Take Back the Control of Your Haircut!

]]>3428Guys: Look Your Best With These 5 Essential Haircare Tipshttp://www.semionbarbershop.com/guys-look-your-best-with-these-5-essential-haircare-tips/
Tue, 21 Oct 2014 19:18:17 +0000http://www.semionbarbershop.com/?p=3159OK guys. We know that most of you prefer to spend as little time as possible thinking about things like fashion and haircare. But here’s a secret: the women (or...

]]>OK guys. We know that most of you prefer to spend as little time as possible thinking about things like fashion and haircare. But here’s a secret: the women (or men) you’re trying to impress do think about these things, and if you want to catch their attention in a good way you need to start thinking about them, too. Luckily, these 5 essential haircare tips will help you cover your bases and make the best impression in a way that is easy, inexpensive, and straightforward:

1. How do you dry your hair? If you’re like most guys, you probably just take a towel and rub it on the top of your head for a while until you hair is dry. Well guess what: towel drying is one of the leading causes of damage to men’s hair. If you towel dry your hair too roughly, you could risk damaging your cuticles and maybe even bring on some baldness! What’s the right way to towel dry? Shake out the excess water in your hair and then stroke your hair with the towel in the direction it grows. It’ll take a bit longer, but the difference will be immediately noticeable.

2. How often do you shampoo your hair? You’ve probably heard from girlfriends that they try not to wash their hair every day. Ever wonder why? Hair is made out of a protein called keratin, which tends to weaken when exposed to water. Therefore, to protect your hair try to wash it only as needed. For those with oily hair, this might be daily. But for most guys you can easily skip a few days. And when you do, use warm water, not piping hot. Massage your scalp, don’t scrub hard. And use the towel drying technique, above.

3. What shampoo do you use? Now that you know not to shampoo every day, it’s time to take a look at the shampoo you’re using. Let me guess: is it the cheapest one you could find? Your hair is worth a small investment, especially considering you have to wear it every day. Look for vitamin-based, moisture-infused products. This will improve hygiene and decrease the chance of dandruff (no one wants that!).

4. What styling products do you use? Gels can be great for styling your hair, but they can have some unwanted side-effects. Gels are essentially made out of plastic dissolved in alcohol. The alcohol in gels can weaken keratin (remember from #2?) and leave your hair weak and brittle. So if you must use gel, use it sparingly and look for alcohol-free products. On the other hand, pomades and waxes don’t have keratin-harming alcohol, but they do have heavier ingredients that can be tougher to remove entirely. Look instead for some of the newer, water-based formulas to avoid the rough shampooing you have to do to wash away your current pomade and wax.

5. What kind of hats do you wear? Hats are great when you just don’t feel like bothering with styling your hair. But if you tend to wear tight hats, you might have a problem. Especially tight-fitting hats (or tight ponytails, for those with the hair for them) can do some serious damage to your scalp and cuticles. Wearing tight hats can lead to something called “traction alopecia” in which hair is literally pulled out of your scalp, and over time the condition can become permanent. Pretty soon, you may find yourself having to wear hats more often to cover up those untimely bald spots!

]]>3159Simple Halloween Hairstyles to Complete Your Costumehttp://www.semionbarbershop.com/simple-halloween-hairstyles-to-complete-your-costume/
Sat, 11 Oct 2014 19:09:05 +0000http://www.semionbarbershop.com/?p=3152It’s that time of year again. Candy, Corpses, and Crazy Hairdo’s all help to make Halloween one of our favorite holidays of the year! But coming up with the perfect...

]]>It’s that time of year again. Candy, Corpses, and Crazy Hairdo’s all help to make Halloween one of our favorite holidays of the year! But coming up with the perfect costume can be difficult, and buying one from the store can get a bit pricey. Sometimes the best costumes are the simplest, just putting together an outfit using clothes you’ve already got in creative ways. And no matter what costume you choose, make sure you’ve got the perfect hairdo to match!

Here are 5 simple Halloween hairstyles for you to try:

Mary Rozzi

Mermaid: Buying a costume for this is pretty straightforward, and you can even likely put together a simple one with your clothes and some cheap arts and crafts supplies. But this mermaid hairstyle is what will really finish the costume! To get that fresh-out-of-the-water Ariel look, apply some mousse to your damp hair, and tousle it with your fingers as you blow it dry. Go for a loose center part. Then, take a curling wand, wind a section of hair away from your face, hold for 20 seconds, and gently slide the hair off. Don’t use a clamp, because we’re going for smooth, crimpless curls. When you’ve got your hair nice and curled, run your fingers through the ringlets to separate them into waves. Finish with some hairspray to keep the shape.

Dorothy: Another classic that you can buy in most stores or piece together with clothes you’ve already got, the Dorothy costume is never complete without her iconic braids! First, curl your hair with a wand. Then, part your hair down the middle and tuck one half out of the way for now. With the other half, take a small section of hair near the part and twist it upward toward the part line, following your hairline as you twist it back and adding in hair after every twist. Make sure to incorporate all the hair on that side into the twist at the back corner of your head, and try to keep it as tight as you can. With the twist in one hand, use your other hand to section the rest of your hair into three even strands. Braid these strands until you reach your shoulders and secure the braid with elastic. Leave some hair free to get that signature fluffy and curly end. Repeat with the other side. Finish with hairspray and bows. Here’s a great video from Cute Girls Hairstyles that will walk you through it.

French Maid: No Halloween party is complete without a French Maid. And while the costume is easy enough to find, the French twist hairstyle will tie it all together. Gather your hair at the base of your neck and twist it up. Grab some bobby pins to secure the twist and arrange your ends as you like, pinning random strands down if your hair is long. Voilà!

Katniss Everdeen: With the third installment of the Hunger Games series coming out in November, playing this iconic heroine is a no-brainer. But no Katniss costume would be complete without her signature side braid. To keep the odds ever in your favor, start by brushing your hair and removing any knots and tangles. Pick a side to start on (it’s up to you, but we’ll explain from the right). Take a large section above your right ear and split it into three strands. Then, you’re going to make a Dutch braid: cross the right piece under the center, then bring the left piece under the right. Continue braiding and adding more hair to each section as you go. Try to add even amounts on both sides to keep the shape equal. When you run out of hair to add in, bring your right hand around to the front and braid to the end of your hair. Secure your braid with clear elastic and then stretch the braid out. Here’s a great walkthrough from Hair Romance.

Cersei Lannister: Game of Thrones is watched by millions of people, and the beautiful (and dangerous) Cersei is definitely one of the reasons why! Luckily, recreating her classic hairstyle is surprisingly easy. First section off your hair into three parts. Clip the top section out of the way. Take the two bottom sections and tie them into ponytails, with one on top of the other. Take the middle ponytail and plait it all the way down your head. Secure it at the bottom. Then, take the top section and split it into two, twisting away from your face and bringing the two pieces together at the back of your hair, just above the second ponytail. Finally, take clear elastic and secure it, while taking the tail of the twist and tucking it underneath the plait below. Let the third ponytail piece go and let your hair hang loose. To get a loose, tousled wave, tong random sections of your hair. Now you’re ready to play the Game of Thrones!

]]>315210 Awesome Back to School Hairstyleshttp://www.semionbarbershop.com/10-awesome-back-to-school-hairstyles/
Thu, 25 Sep 2014 21:13:52 +0000http://www.semionbarbershop.com/?p=3130The weather’s getting cooler, the leaves are changing, so you know what time it is: back to school! Whether you have little ones just starting their first academic year, or...

]]>The weather’s getting cooler, the leaves are changing, so you know what time it is: back to school! Whether you have little ones just starting their first academic year, or college students getting ready for their final senior semesters, everybody will want to be looking their best when they walk in the classroom on the first day. That’s why we’ve put together a quick list of 10 Awesome Back to School Hairstyles that will be certain to impress your new classmates!

1. The Bedhead Braid: With just the right combination of care-free and control, this look will be turning heads without forcing you to wake up 3 hours early just to get ready! It’s cute, a little sassy, and easy to do even if you accidentally slept through the first few snoozes on you alarm clock.

2. Short and Simple: While we have some more advanced styles for guys on this list, we thought we’d start with something simple. A clean cut with short sides, some sideburns, and a little bit of texture on top couldn’t be any easier. Just wake up, ruffle the top with your fingers, and you’re good to go. Works with or without product.

3. Ruffled Pixie: We’ve mention how the pixie cut is coming back into fashion in an earlier blog post, and back to school is a great time to surprise your friends with this bold new look. With the ruffled version, texture is key. Keep it fringy in the front with a soft perimeter to maintain that cute, feminine look.

4. Faded Pompadour: Like the pixie cut, the pompadour is another classic hairstyle making a comeback thanks to celebrity attention. But rather than going full “pomp”, the faded pompadour is a bit more understated, giving a classier look. Keep the hair cut close to the skin about half way up the head until it hits a fade of considerable length on the top.

5. Oversized Top Knot: Take your bun to a whole new level with the oversized top knot. Favored by celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Olivia Munn, the big top knot takes a little bit of skill, but it’s definitely worth the effort. Backcomb your high ponytail and twist into the shape you like.

6. Peaked Cut: Look no further than Neil Patrick Harris or Channing Tatum for inspiration with this style. The peaked cut requires a bit of styling in the morning, but will leave you looking classy and ready for class! Especially good for guys with square faces, wide foreheads, or angular features.

7. Fringe Bangs: Always a classic, try some bangs on for size this school year. Taylor Swift is one celebrity who loves this style, which brings attention to the eyes and frames the face beautifully. The fringe is a simple way to spice up any hairstyle.

8. The Undercut: As well as making hit songs, hip-hop artist Macklemore has also made the undercut a hot hairstyle choice for men. This low-maintenance cut takes one quick trip to the barber and is good for several weeks after. With no blending between the top and the sides, it’s a striking look. Pair it with a short beard for a more rugged appearance.

9. Cute and Curly: Add some curls for a cute look that involves little effort. Just wrap your strands around a clampless curling iron, spray the finished curls with some hairspray, and voilà! For an even trendier look, visit the salon for some coloring so that the ends are light and the roots a bit darker.

10. Straight Shag: It doesn’t get much more low-maintenance than this. For guys with somewhat longer hair who want to keep it that way, get your hair razor cut in long layers to add some movement and instill that care-free shaggy look around the sides.